Being a garden voyeur has its disadvantages. If one is a paper-based voyeur, content to browse the seductive landscape of gardening books, then a rainy day is a plus.

What better way to appreciate the joys of Monet's garden than curled up before a roaring fire, piping hot coffee to the left, banana cake to the right, rain lashing at the windows, and a cat purring contentedly on one's lap. Well, okay, so she kept climbing onto the book, but why should I let reality interfere with a nice image?

During a break in the clouds I visited Batman Park. We take for granted the specks of green that mark our maps. All around Melbourne are small parks and gardens, some were once small cottages, sites too small for anything but a couple of seats and some trees. Okay, trees and parks are not the lungs of the planet, but they might be it's heart and soul.
by Ali Kayn, October, 1996